Reviews

In terms of back catalogue alone, the latter theory holds considerable clout: Maroon 5 have only two albums, whereas Dashboard Confessional have five. And yet, as Chris Carrabba and his cohorts confidently stroll onstage to kick off proceedings, it is clear that they are simply grateful to be reaching crowds they would struggle off their own back this side of the pond.

Maroon 5 (c) Shirlaine Forrest

It is also clear that touring with U2 and having a song in a Spiderman film has transformed this band for the better in recent years. Songs from flagship album The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most are beefed up to include a full band, and more recent tunes from Dusk and Summer and The Shade Of Poison Trees are performed with equal passion and intensity.

It is a great performance, and they leave the stage assuring the audience that they are in for a great night and that Maroon 5 'just get better and better'.

After what seems like an unusually long wait, the lights go down. Immediately, the pitch of the screams suggests that the majority of the Marooners in the audience are female.

Maroon 5 (c) Shirlaine Forrest

Frontman Adam Levine kicks things off, moving around the stage like an over excited Prince, and the riffs are solid enough. Interestingly enough, they are not, as the casual observer would presume, terrible.

All the major singles are played and go down well - latest offering Won't Go Home Without You is particularly catchy and quite a respectable tune, and while they are obviously a band still cutting their chops performance-wise (when they play a non-single, the lights and backdrop go crazy as a form of distraction), their radio friendly appeal and Levine's faultless Jacko vocals just about save the day.

They may be a little lacking in substance, but Maroon 5's entertainment value is undeniable. The bill might just have been the right way round after all.